Knowing she could be next, she joined a study at the UT Southwestern Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute to determine whether regular aerobic exercise and taking specific medications to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels can help preserve brain function.

According to the hospital, they plan to enroll more than 600 older adults at high risk to develop Alzheimer’s disease and measure whether certain interventions can be linked to slower brain decline.

Participants, like White, will take part in regular aerobic exercise and take specific medications to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

“There is plenty of evidence to suggest that what is bad for your cardiovascular system is bad for your brain, but the body is one machine and you cannot separate the heart from the brain,” said Dr. Rong Zhang, Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The theory that good diet and exercise results in better brain function has been studied before but never proven with the scientific evidence, said Zhang.

This new study builds upon prior research linking healthy lifestyles to better brain function, he added.